The invention relates to a method for folding an airbag of an airbag system connected to a gas generator in which at least a part of the tailored, laid flat fabric consisting of two fabric layers defining the airbag volume is folded by rolling.
A method of the aforementioned kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,367. The described airbag to be folded has a cylindrical gas generator inserted in its longitudinal direction between fabric layers of the tailored fabric such that the tailored fabric has a projecting length on both sides of the gas generator which in the disclosed method of folding is selected to be asymmetric. In a first folding step, the portions of the fabric laid out flat at the end faces of the gas generator are folded inwardly in the direction toward the gas generator. The thus formed partially folded tailored fabric is then partially folded further by rolling whereby the portion having the greater length is rolled from the exterior in the direction toward the gas generator and, subsequently, the roll formed on one side of the gas generator is then covered by the fabric portion on the other side of the gas generator still laid out flat and then folded in a direction toward the gas generator.
This known folding method is relatively cumbersome due to the individual folding steps. Also, due to the different degree of folding of the fabric portions on opposite sides of the gas generator, the inflation of the airbag is not sufficiently fast. It is therefore an object of the invention to improve a folding method of the aforementioned kind such that the folding of the airbag is simplified to facilitate mounting and that the unfolding time of the folded airbag becomes shorter.